Wheelbarrow



April 15, 1930. H. B. NEWTON wHEELBAR'Row Filed Jan. 21, 1928 1 v i aim llll I l i! Patented Apr. 15, 1930 HERBERT B. nnwron, or BnooKLmn, ivrassacnusnrrs lVHEELBARItOW Application filed January 21, 1928.

This inveiition is embodied in a onewheeled wheelbarrow, the bucket or load receptacle of which is entirely enclosed by the Wheel one side out, and below the axis 5 thereo'hand suspenc ed so that the entire r'veight oi the bucket and its lead is supported by the wheel, the Wheel being formed as a cage, permitting the loading and unloading of the bucket, the chief object being to per- 10 mit the transportation of'the load with no muscular e'fi'ort other than that required to propel the barrow.

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

Of the accompanying drawings forming 15 a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheelba row embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the crank 20 or drop axle element, shown by Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section on line 4tt of Figure 1.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

The bucket or load receptacle of my improved whcelbarrow includes, in this instance, a curved bottom 12, and sides 13, 13, the ends of the bottom and the upper edges of the sides forming the mouth of the bucket.

Fixed to the bucket and projecting from op posite sides of the mouth portion thereof, are alined axle arms 14, 14, the relative arrangement of the bu ket and arms being such that the center of gravity of the bucket is at one side of the axial line of said arms.

The axle arms may be rigidly secured to the bucket by any suitable means. Said arms are preferably the end members of a crank or drop axle, formed as shown by Figure 3, and including rods 15, joined to the arms 14, at an angle therewith, and bearing on the sides of the bucket, and a neck 16 joined to, and connecting the rods and extending across the bottom of the bucket, the arms and neck constituting a sling supporting the bucket.

The neck 16 is preferably relatively Wide, as shown by Figure 3, so that it has an extended bearing on the bucket bottom, the neck being secured to the bottom by bolts or Serial No. 248,335.

rivets 17. The sides 13 of the bucket may be provided with lugs 18, hearing on opposite sit of the rods 15.

The Wheel is enlarged and formed to permit the enclosure of the bucket within it, 5.3 with the center oi gravity of the bucket below the axis of the Wheel. The circular rim of the wheel may be composed of twoannular members 19, angular in cross'section, and abutted together, as best shown by Fig-urea. or? The Wheel includes two spaced apart hubs 20, mounted to rotate on the axle arms 14, and spokes 21 riveted or otherwise fixed at their inner ends tothe hubs, and at their outer ends to the rim, the sections 19 of the rim being preferebly secured to each ether by belts or rivets 22 (Figure 4), which also secure the outer ends of the spokes to the rim. The spokes are bent as indicated by Figure '1, to form side members of the cage-shaped wheel, the spokes being out of contact with the bucket and the rim in a plane midway between the hubs. 'lhe arzlearms are adapted to be turned freely by the weight or the bucket in the bearings provided by the hubs,

' to automaticallylocate the 'center of gravity of the bucket aiid its lead directly underthe axial line oi the arms, so that the load is suported entirely by the wheel. j

The barrow includes propelling means ti;- gag-ed with the axle arms 14L, whereby the operator may push or pull. prefer to embody said means in two handle-bars 24, having bearings at their inner ends in which the stile arms are journaled, the bars being adapted to swing in vertical planes, so that their outer ends may be elevated, as shown by Figure 1, and depressed to bear on the ground, and a crossbar 25, connecting the outer end portions of the anus. The propelling means is free from positive connection with the bucket, so that the propulsion t the barrow by means cannot change the location in which the center of gravity of the bucket and its load is automatically maintained, the propelling m'eans being independent of thebucket.

A brake shoe 26, carried by the propelling means, adapted to be pressed by the operator against the periphery or tread of the W wheel rim and retard the rotation of the wheel. Said shoe is preferably formed on one end of a lever 27, fulcrumed on the crossbar 25. The spokes are suiliciently spaced apart to permit the load to be inserted in the bucket and dumped therefrom between adjacent spokes.

To permit the dumping of the load by a partial rotation of the wheel, I provide the bucket with a con ling member engageable with a member 0 the wheel, to oause the bucket to turn with the wheel. Said member is preferably a slide 28, movable in a guide 29, fixed to a side of the bucket, and provided with a hook 30, adapted to engage a spoke 21, when the slide is moved to the dotted line position shown by Figure 2.

The handle-bars 24, rigidly connected by the cross-bar 25, maintain the barrow with the wheel upright, when the outer ends of the handles bear on a supporting surface. The handle-bars may have downwardly projecting leg portions 24.

As implied by the foregoing description and the following claims, I am not limited to the specific construction shown by the drawings, except as otherwise required by certain of the more limited claims.

I claim:

1. A wheelbarrow comprising a bucket, alined axle arms fixed to the bucket and projectin from opposite sides of the mouth portion t ereof, so that the center of gravity of the bucket is at one side of the axial line of said arms, a wheel having spaced apart hubs mounted to rotate on the axle arms, the wheel being formed as an open cage enclosing the bucket, and adapted to permit the loading and unloading thereof, propelling means engaged with the axle arms, the arrangement bem such that the bucket is sup orted who by the wheel, with its center 0 gravity be 0w the axial line of the axle arms, and a couplin member carried by the bucket and engageab e with a member of the wheel, to cause a dumping movement of the bucket when the wheel is turned.

2. A wheelbarrow comprising a bucket, alined axle arms fixed to the bucket and projecting from opposite sides of the mouth portion t ereof, so that the center of gravity of the bucket is at one side of the axial line of said arms, a wheel having spaced apart hubs mounted to rotate on the axle arms, the wheel being formed as an open cage enclosing the bucket, and adapted to permit the loading and unloadin thereof, propelling means enaged with tile axle arms, the arrangement ,ing such that the bucket is supported wholl by the wheel, with its center of gravity be ow the axial line of the axle arms, and a hooked slide movable in a guide on the bucket and engageable with a spoke of the wheel, to cause a dumping movement of the bucket when the wheel is turned.

3. A one-wheeled wheelbarrow comprising, in combination, a bucket having alined axle arms fixed to and projecting from opposite sides of the mouth portion thereof, the center of gravity of the bucket being wholly at one side of said arms, a wheel formed as a bucket-containing cage and composed of spaced apart hubs mounted to rotate on the axle arms, a rim concentric with the hubs, and two series of spokes connecting the rim with the hubs and maintaining the rim in a plane midway between the hubs, the bucket being maintained by gravity below the axle arms and hubs when the wheel stands in a vertical plane on a supporting base, so that the bucket mouth automatically faces upward, the spokes being spaced apart to ermit the insertion and discharge of a buc et load therebetween, and spaced apart rigidly connected push bars mounted to swing on the axle arms and adapted to be manipulated by the operator to propel the barrow, and depressed to bear on a supporting base, and maintain the wheel in a vertical plane and the bucket mouth facing upward when the barrow is at rest.

In testimony whereof I have aifixed my signature.

HERBERT B. NEWTON. 

